A California janitor’s union, joined by immigration activists and workers, rallied in the plaza in front of a Federal building which houses San Diego’s ICE offices as part of a movement they call Occupy ICE or Occupy La Migra. La Migra refers to border patrol and immigration officials in Spanish.

Two weeks ago, companies employing members of the same janitorial union received audit notices for I-9 forms for all of the workers, AOL Latino reports. Sandra Diaz, one of the occupiers, told AOL Latino that the union considered this a direct attack against Latino community.

Mike Garcia, the President of Justice for Janitors, says their message is in line with Occupy Wall Street because ICE’s actions are motivated by corporate greed.

“We are fed up and tired of ICE and their rogue behavior targeting well paid immigrant jobs sites and hard working immigrant workers and families,” he said in a statement released on Thursday.

“ICE is doing what the 1% corporate real estate industry wants: using immigration laws to recycle well paid janitors in the hopes of taking back gains in pay and benefits our union has won.”

San Diego, CA — Led by the SEIU USWW Janitors Union, workers, immigrant rights organizations and community members will rally in front of the downtown federal building and to “occupy” the plaza area in front of the Federal building. Eight (8) brave activists, tired of the attacks on immigrant communities by an out of control department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the “San Diego 8” will begin an encampment to draw attention to the disconnect between the stated direction given to ICE by President Obama and their zealous targeting of migrant worker industries. The San Diego 8 will refuse any orders to leave!

“We are fed up and tired of ICE and their rogue behavior targeting well paid immigrant jobs sites and hard working immigrant workers and families,” says Mike Garcia President of SEIU USWW AKA Justice for Janitors. “ICE is doing what the 1% corporate real estate industry wants: using immigration laws to recycle well paid janitors in the hopes of taking back gains in pay and benefits our union has won.”

Through struggle and endless sacrifice over the past 20 years, janitors in California have built a union that has reformed an industry that was known for exploiting workers. The raids by ICE only increase fear among workers. Those who are targeted end up in the underground economy, which only depresses the wages and working conditions of all workers – U.S. born and immigrant. Only by fixing our broken immigration system can we level the playing field, and restore fairness for all workers.

WHAT: Janitors, other workers, and community members protesting ICE worksite raids that serve as de facto union busting for greedy real estate corporations.

WHEN: Thursday, November 17march begins at 12PM; rally and “occupation” at approximately 1PM

WHERE: March begins at Civic Center, 1100 3rd Avenue, San Diego
Rally at San Diego Federal Building, Front and Broadway in downtown San Diego

WHO: Hundreds of San Diego workers and allies, together with community supporters.

VISUAL: POTENTIAL ARRESTS. Workers carrying picket signs, banging on drums, marching, chanting, and handing out leaflets to public AND BUILDING AN ENCAMPMENT WITH FULL PROGRAM THROUGHOUT THE EVENING. 5pm Vigil, 10pm Meeting with Janitors on lunch break form nearby buildings.

Occupy Oakland protesters held a rally today in support of a veteran East Bay activist who faces possible deportation to Mexico after being arrested during Monday’s police sweep of the movement’s encampment outside City Hall.

Records show that 36-year-old Francisco “Pancho” Ramos Stierle of Oakland is being held without bail at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin because of a federal immigration hold.

Footage of the early morning police raid shows Stierle being arrested while meditating and refusing to leave Frank Ogawa Plaza. He was one of 32 people arrested during the sweep.

BY PAUL SCHINDLER

In what appears to be the first such action of its type, an Immigration Judge in Manhattan has adjourned deportation proceedings for the Argentine lesbian spouse of an American citizen to allow the couple to proceed with their application to have their marriage recognized for purposes of federal immigration law.

If you have ever visited a U.S. town or major city along the U.S.-Mexico border you will quickly realize it is a unique part of the country. The region is alive with multiculturalism, globalization and ethnic diversity. I was born in a border town in Mexico, Tijuana, and grew up in a border town in the U.S, San Diego. I believe that border communities are microcosms of what is possible when we embrace our differences instead alienating each other because of them.

For the past few decades, U.S. policy has succeeded in marginalizing, exploiting and vilifying the U.S.-Mexico border region as well as the people who live and work there. In the early 90’s President Clinton signed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) into law. NAFTA vastly changed the way commerce was conducted between Mexico and the United States yet business owners of the region were never consulted. Also in the early 90’s, border walls and an increase of border security infrastructure was added without input from the residents and businesses directly affected by them. In recent years, more border walls and thousands more border guards populate the region. Some landowners in Texas have actually had their properties placed south of the newly constructed border walls, again without consultation.